Brake unit for a baby stroller

ABSTRACT

A brake mechanism for a baby stroller has a wheel brake device, a connecting element, an actuator and a retainer. The wheel brake device is operatively connected to a wheel set of the stroller. The actuator is controllable connected to the upper portion of the stroller for driving the wheel brake device via the connecting element to brake the wheel of the stroller. The retainer is used to engage with the actuator to keep the actuator in a locked position, thereby to keep to brake the stroller continually.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a brake unit and, more particularly, to abrake mechanism which is control by an actuator mounted on the handleportion of a stroller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

A regular stroller frame generally has a pair of push arms for a user topush the stroller forward. Normally, the push arms are fixed behind thestroller, thereby forcing the user to push the stroller from the rearside. Further, a pair of brake devices are normally equipped on the rearwheel sets to provide with a control bar which is operable either by theuser's hand or feet, to stop the stroller.

To reach the control bar of the brake device by hands, the users has tobend down their body and thus may need to clean their hand if thecontrol bar was not clean. In order to shift the control bar of thebrake device by feet, the user has to find out the position of thecontrol bar.

Sometime, the control bar may be sheltered behind a laid-down backrestor basket behind the stroller, therefore the user is difficult to makesure whether the wheels is braked. Furthermore, the user may also getconfused about which side and which wheel have been braked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to resolve the above-mentioned inconvenience, the presentinvention provides a brake unit for a stroller that allows the users tomanipulate and brake the stroller without bending their body or lettheir hand dirtied by a soiled control bar as mentioned above situation.

According to the present invention, a brake unit comprises an actuator,a connecting element and a wheel brake device. The actuator isoperatively connected with the upper portion of a stroller frame, havinga control element and a retainer.

The control element is movable connected to the stroller frame fordriving the wheel brake device via the connecting element, to cause thewheel brake device to move into either a braked position or a releasedposition. Further, the actuator is retainable by the retainer in alocked position thereby to brake the stroller continually.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitativeof the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a stroller frame with a brake unit according tothe present invention, wherein the push arms of the stroller iscontrollable connected with a actuator for controlling the wheel brakedevice via a connecting element;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view showing the actuator according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 is an perspective view schematically showing the actuator in areleased position;

FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the actuator retained by aretainer in a locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a brake unit equipped on astroller according to the present invention is shown. The stroller frame10 has a collapsible linkage system which can be fixed in a deployedconfiguration or foldable to a collapsed configuration. The strollerframe 10 includes a pair of push arms 11 pivoted with a rear leg tube12. The rear leg tube 12 connects a wheel set 13 equipped with a wheelbrake device 3.

The brake unit of this embodiment comprises an actuator 2, a connectingelement 4 and a wheel brake device 3. The actuator 2 is controllableconnected with the upper portion of a stroller frame 10.

The control element is movable connected to the stroller frame 10 fordriving the wheel brake device 3 via the connecting element 4, therebyto cause the wheel brake device 3 to move into either a braked positionor a released position.

Referring to FIG. 2, the actuator 2 is controllable connected to thepush bar 11 and includes a holding base 21, a housing 22, a controlelement 23, a retainer 24, a pin 25, and a resilient element 26. Thepush bar 11 has a slot 111 for receiving and guiding the pin 25. Theholding base 21 fixed to the push bar 11 and having a slot 211 and apivot point 212. The slot 211 is aligned to the slot 111 of the push bar11 for guiding the pin 25 when the pin 25 is carried by the controlelement 23 and moving therein reciprocally.

The housing 22 is connected with the holding base 21 and has a opening221 and a pivotal space 222. The pivotal space 222 is formed with apivot point 223 and a recess or an opening for pivotally receiving theretainer 24. The retainer 24 is biased by the resilient element 26 so asto reciprocally rotate about the pivot point 223.

The control element 23 has an end portion 231, an engaging portion 232and a pair of arms 233. The pair of arms 233 is pivotally connected tothe holding base 21 at the pivot point 212 through the opening 221 ofthe housing 22. In this embodiment, the end portion 231 and the pair ofarms 233 are formed integrally with a metal or plastic material. The endportion 231 provides a surface for the user to contact and manipulatethe control element 23. The control element 23 connects the connectingelement 4 via the pin 25 and carries the pin 25 within the slots 111 and211 reciprocally to pull the connecting element 4. The connectingelement 4 may be a flexible element, such as a wire or cable.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the retainer 24 has an angled surface 242for fingers touch and an protruded portion 241 for engaging with theengaging portion 232. The retainer 24 is pivotally received within thepivotal space 222 and biased by the resilient element 26 upwardly.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the protruded portion 241 is engaged with theengaging portion 232, thereby to lock the control element 23 and keptthe connecting element 4 to pull wheel brake device 3 in a brakeposition. When the angled surface 242 is pressed, the retainer 24 isforced to rotate against the biasing from the resilient element 5,thereby to release the control element 23 and the wheel brake device 3.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

1. A brake unit for a baby stroller, comprising: a wheel brake device,connected to a wheel set of the stroller; a connecting element,controllable connected to the wheel brake device to brake the wheel ofthe stroller; an actuator, movable connected to the upper portion of astroller frame for driving the wheel brake device via the connectingelement to brake the wheel of the stroller; and a retainer, engageablewith the actuator to keep the actuator in a position of keeping thewheel brake device in a braked position.
 2. The brake unit for a babystroller as claimed in claim 1, wherein an actuator is connected to apush bar of the upper portion of a stroller frame
 3. The brake unit fora baby stroller as claimed in claim 1, further includes a holding base,connected to a push bar of the stroller frame, having a pivotal pointfor pivotally connected with the control element; a housing, having apivotal space for pivotally receiving and connecting the retainer; and aresilient element, received in the pivotal space for biasing theretainer upwardly.
 4. The brake unit for a baby stroller as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the retainer has an protruded portion for engaging withthe control element, to keep the control element in a locking position.5. The brake unit for a baby stroller as claimed in claim 3, wherein theretainer has an angled surface for a user to touch with fingers.
 6. Thebrake unit for a baby stroller as claimed in claim 3, wherein thecontrol element is formed with a pair of arms for pivotally connected tothe holding base, and has a end portion for a user to touch andmanipulate the control element.
 7. The brake unit for a baby stroller asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the housing further has an opening for thepair of arms to pass through to pivot with the holding base.
 8. Thebrake unit for a baby stroller as claimed in claim 3, wherein thecontrol element is connected with the connecting element via a pin andthe push bar has a slot for guiding the pin to move reciprocallytherein.
 9. The brake unit for a baby stroller as claimed in claim 8,wherein the connecting element is a wire or a cable.
 10. The brake unitfor a baby stroller as claimed in claim 8, further includes a holdingbase, wherein the holding base has a slot aligned to the slot of thepush bar for guiding the pin and has a pivotal point for pivotallyconnected with the control element.